Cafe Carpenter
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cafe carpenter caters to those who seek for a casual intimate dinner in a small and almost eclectic restaurant. If I had said “surprise me” and my dinner partner took me here, I would have been suitably impressed. Reservations are recommended for dinner, it got packed pretty quickly on a Friday night for us. It’s natural to feel wary about restaurants which serve both Japanese and Korean cuisines. But boy, I had a pleasant and enjoyable meal here. The seafood okonomiyaki (always add cheese when the option presents itself) was one of the best versions I’ve sampled here in Melbourne. Crispy and delicious, I always find it a way to sneak vege in your meal without ordering a blatantly healthy dish. The Korean pork belly dish got the flavours right, but the meat was a bit tougher than what I was used to for rice bowls. The karaage chicken salad was crispy and delicious - certainly more attention was paid to the chicken than the salad, which needed a bit more seasoning. Our food came up to about $50 which was reasonable for a small business. Loved the little Japanese restaurant ambience and the Asian supermarket next to it too. Will be back!
melbournecitaymelbournecitay
10
Oh..where to begin. Korean, Japanese and everything in between, the sheer variety is a bit overwhelming at first. If I could order everything I just might. Normally I am a bit skeptical about places with too many choices, but at this place they do not disappoint. If you are looking for a friendly neighborhood restaurant and drinking place (Like an Asian Fushion Cheers?), but maybe are unsure of what you want, but just know that you want good food, then Cafe Carpenter is the place for you. It is not easy to find a place with a classically trained chef from Japan and someone who also actually lived and breathed the Korean street food scene. Food wise, from the LA Ribs, to the Donkatsu, and Takoyaki everything is excellent and authentic. Wide selection of alcoholic drinks, coffee, as well as desserts. The pricing is also very reasonable for comparable quality. While the quality, variety and service were all excellent, the one thing that stood out most for me was the friendliness and warmth of the owners and staff. I highly recommend.
Ken P.Ken P.
10
We went to this nice cozy spot to try some japanese food, and it’s really great. We got the salt and pepper chicken for $14 which was really juicy, nice crispy skin, and comes really hot. Flavours while simple, are really good. The pork okonomiyaki for $20 was really good as well. The sauces are amazing, all the ingredients in there go well together, it’s not too mushy and has some nice integrity to it. The pork belly gives it a nice meaty addition. I got the katsu curry for $24 which was decent. The pork was nice, well cooked, but it’s not very seasoned. But it’s understandable as the curry itself was tasty. It’s got a hint of spiciness to it, nice texture, very smooth but not watery. And really tasty. Overall it’s a very nice, small, cozy place. Food here is delicious, pretty standard pricing. I do highly recommend the okonomiyaki.
Han Yu TanHan Yu Tan
00
Loved this little place. It doesn't take bookings for lunch, only for dinner. It appears that it is a family run Japanese restaurant, where the furniture is homemade (hence Cafe Carpenter). It's very nifty and cosy, reminding us of Japan! The food was delicious and split between many selections of Japanese and Korean dishes. We recommend the following dishes that we had - pork okonomiyaki, Korean savoury seafood pancake, pork tonkatsu and the japchae (great portions of beef). There is also a little pantry area down the back where you can browse and purchase various bric-a-brac items like socks, ceramics, sweets, and drinks. Enjoy your visit 😊
Mish LoMish Lo
00
Great little Japanese cafe with a very homely vibe. The ribs were awesome and tender. Melt right off the bone and in your mouth. Takoyaki is also great. Ice cream was a little too sweet and weak in matcha for our liking. Will definitely come back for the bossam. Loss some points for the service, for a restaurant, there was no table service. You need to sit down, look at the menu, go to the front to order, get your own water, sit down, eat and then go back to the front to pay. I think this could be improved and be more efficient. Otherwise, food is great, service could be improved.
Johnny LeJohnny Le
00
The food quality was pretty good compared to a lot of the Japanese restaurants in Melbourne. Would give it a 4 star for the quality of food. There was no octopus in takoyaki, which was a bit surprise to me, as a lot of the comments mentioned they made authentic Japanese food. The service needed to be improved. We ordered the 4 dishes. One was forgotten and another was not on their ticket for kitchen. The place is fairly small, but it seemed their exhaust fan was broke down or they didn’t have a proper exhaust. Clothes and hair had oily smell after dine in.
Tifa ChenTifa Chen
30
Nearby Attractions Of Cafe Carpenter
LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Melbourne
JB Hi-Fi Chadstone Shopping Centre
Kmart Chadstone
JB Hi-Fi Chadstone Home Superstore
Daiso Japan Chadstone
mycar Tyre & Auto Chadstone
Phoenix Park Adventure Playground
Victoria's Secret
Chadstone Market
Chadstone Village
LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Melbourne
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JB Hi-Fi Chadstone Shopping Centre
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Kmart Chadstone
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JB Hi-Fi Chadstone Home Superstore
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Nearby Restaurants Of Cafe Carpenter
The Pancake Parlour Malvern East
New Shanghai Chadstone
TGI Fridays Chadstone
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OMI
Master Lanzhou
Starbucks Chadstone
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Sushi Jiro
The Pancake Parlour Malvern East
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New Shanghai Chadstone
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TGI Fridays Chadstone
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Matthew Flinders Hotel
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Address
742 Waverley Rd, Malvern East VIC 3145, Australia
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Phone
+61 3 9939 4061
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Website
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Reviews
Overview
4.7
(246 reviews)
Ratings & Description
attractions: LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Melbourne, JB Hi-Fi Chadstone Shopping Centre, Kmart Chadstone, JB Hi-Fi Chadstone Home Superstore, Daiso Japan Chadstone, mycar Tyre & Auto Chadstone, Phoenix Park Adventure Playground, Victoria's Secret, Chadstone Market, Chadstone Village, restaurants: The Pancake Parlour Malvern East, New Shanghai Chadstone, TGI Fridays Chadstone, Matthew Flinders Hotel, OMI, Master Lanzhou, Starbucks Chadstone, Axil, Fonda Mexican Chadstone, Sushi Jiro
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